Arizona Daily Star from Tucson, Arizona • Page 1

1 1992 The Arizona Daily Star Vol. 151 No. 253 Final Edition, Tucson, Wednesday, September 9, 1992 U.S.50 In Mexico 48 Pages Star II ETT3 1 i eaning towa son DEMOCRAT Announcement on expansion of missile programs expected today 1 1 jp 11 1 Pi-lira Cnrnont V'fV Votes: 56,528 Percent: 56.9 LEADING Truman Spangrud Votes: 42,700 Percent: 43 By Richard Ducote and LA. Mitchell -The Arizona Dally Star Hughes Aircraft Co. will announce today that missile production will be expanded at its Tucson plant, boosting employment In the next two years by as many as 4,000 jobs as programs are moved from California, sources say.

Hughes spokesmen refused to confirm any planned announcement, but several sources said the decision has been made and an announcement is imminent. "We need to communicate to our employees, and once that's done, we'll go beyond our walls and notify the public," said spokesman Mike Letson. However, the Press-Enterprise, a newspaper in Riverside, published in today's editions portions of a letter written by vice chairman Michael T. Smith to Hughes employees. "We selected Tucson primarily because of its lower operating cost, which is a critical factor in making us more competitive," the letter said.

"It provides us with an opportunity to eliminate duplicated functions, integrate product development and create a leaner, more cost-effective operation." Smith did not announce who would be moved to the Arizona division, the paper reported. The Tomahawk sea-launched cruise missile program now based in San Diego is the likeliest candidate for the move as Hughes absorbs several missile programs recently acquired from General Dynamics Corp. The transfer of the Tomahawk program would bring about 2,000 jobs to Arizona. In addition, employees at the former General Dynamics plant in Pomona, were saying yesterday that word is leaking out that all missile manufacturing will move to Tucson over the next 18 to 24 months. Programs such as the Stinger shoulder-launched anti-aircraft missile, the Standard shipboard defensive missile, and the Phalanx shipboard anti-missile gun and the Rolling Airframe Missile, a ship surface-to-air system, would move to Tucson under the plan, Pomona sources said.

Tucson Mayor George Miller yesterday would only confirm a "very positive announcement" would be coming from Hughes at an unspecified time today. Other sources put the time of the announcement at 11a.m. Hughes has always said it wants to tell employees of its plans before making any public statement. Sources say the missile-manufacturing jobs, whether they go to existing or recently laid-off Tucson workers or transferring workers from California, will pay in the range of an average $35,000 a year. The move of a major program like the Tomahawk would likely take several See HUGHES, Page 2A 1 ftJ LOSING REPUBLICAN: 5th DISTRICT argent opens up lead over Spangru Michael E.

Beehler Votes: 7,839 Percent: 33.3 LOSING Jim Kolbe (incumbent) Votes: 15,678 Percent: 66.6 LEADING 1 i fi xa i xj- DEMOCRAT: DISTRICT 3 Charles F. Gilliam i Jf A -1 Linda Seeger, The Arizona Dally Star Supporters congratulate Rep. Jim Kolbe at his headquarters after he takes a big lead over GOP rival Michael Beehler Supervisor races promise confrontation Early advantage in Senate race built on absentee votes By Steve Meissner The Arizona Dally Star Phoenix neighborhood activist Claire Sargent was leading retired Air Force Lt. Gen. Truman Spangrud last night in a race to become the Democratic nominee against Republican U.S.

Sen. John McCain. Sargent won the battle of absentee ballots, building a 2-1 ratio over Spangrud, and continued to hold a growing lead with' nearly 60 percent of the votes counted. Returns were coming in slowly last night. "I haven't won yet," a cautiously jubilant Sargent said from her campaign headquar- See SENATE, Page 6A Kolbe is leading Beehler by 2-1 in early returns By Steve Meissner The Arizona Dally Star Rep.

Jim Kolbe built a big lead over Mi-chael E. Beehler in a bitter Republican primary in Arizona's 5th Congressional District. If the trend in early returns holds up, Kolbe next will face a Nov. 3 general election challenge from Jim Toevs, winner of the Democratic nomination in the 5th District. Southern Arizona's other incumbent, Rep.

Ed Pastor, was assured of the Democratic nomination to his first full two-year term. Pastor, who won a special election last September in Arizona's 2nd Congressional District, will face Republican Don Shooter and Libertarian Dan Detaranto on Nov. 3. Kolbe built a 2-1 lead over Beehler with about a third of the vote counted, indicating the kind of comfortable margin that moderate Republicans were hoping for against Beehler and his fellow conservative insurgents. Beehler refused to give up hope.

"These are early numbers," he said from the Radisson Suite Hotel, 6555 E. Speedway, where about 200 supporters had gathered. "They don't reflect the number of places where our people have been walking, and the talking and spreading a positive winning message. It's not over until it's over." Still, people were celebrating at Kolbe's central Tucson headquarters, led by a See5TH, Page6A n. Votes: 810 Percent: 11.94 LOSING John Kromko Votes: 4,220 Percent: 62.60 LEADING Robert McCrea Votes: 954 Percent: 14.06 LOSING Craig Runyon Votes: 801 Percent: 11.81 LOSING By Chris Umberis The Arizona Dally Star It is shaping up to be a classic.

When the numbers come in. Pima County election returns, plagued in various years by slow planes, goofed ballots and temperamental computers, were extraordinarily slow last night. But early results show a classic fight for the Board of Supervisors in the Nov. 3 general election. Ed Moore vs.

John Kromko. in. Marsh had 46 percent Davis had 31, and Morrison trailed with 24. "It looks good and we're holding our own at this point," said Marsh, a 61-year-old financial planner. Marsh, posing for pictures with supporters at the Republican Party headquarters, was without results from Green Valley, however.

Morrison, 72, bolted from the party for U.S. Rep. Jim Kolbe, the Republican who See BOARD, Page6A Paul Marsh or Lee Davis against Frank Luiz. Developers vs. neighborhood activists.

Reg Morrison, a two-term Republican and current board chairman, was on his way out of his seat in District 4, which covers the eastside and Green Valley. Marsh, outspent by Morrison and Davis by $30,000 and nearly $60,000 respectively, led in balloting from city precincts where he ran unsuccessfully last year for the City Council. With less than 37 percent of the precincts IT I' Early legislative results show Incumbents winning REPUBLICAN: DISTRICT 4 In northwest District 12, Sen. Ann Day, R-Tucson, held a significant lead in a three-way Republican primary against an anti-abortion candidate, Ted Schlinkert, and foster care activist M.J. "Peg" Mawhinney.

With no Democrats running, the Republican primary winner will head for the Legislature in January. Day, who took some hits on her environmental record during the campaign, said people apparently are more interested in her positions on the economy, jobs and crime. Still, Schlinkert, who was running second behind Day, claimed a victory of sorts for right-wing conservative candidates. "People try to paint us (conservatives) as a small fringe extremist group, but I think our showing tonight proves that's not the case," Schlinkert said as hundreds of conservatives gathered at the Radisson Suite Hotel in last night's largest Republican gathering in Tucson. "We may not win this time," Schlinkert conceded.

"But we'll be here again, and support for our conservative message is only getting stronger." No Democrats ran for the House in District 12 either, despite two open seats left by See HOUSE, Page 5A By Kim Kelllher The Arizona Dally Star Southern Arizona legislative incumbents appeared to be overcoming tough primary challenges yesterday, while several political newcomers battled for open seats. In southside District 10, where the Democratic primary will decide the race, incumbent Reps. Carmen Cajero and Phillip Hubbard were leading neighborhood activist Betty Liggins with more than half of the precincts reporting. Hubbard, who ran as a team with Cajero and Sen. Victor Soltero, attributed their success to their close friendships and an "excellent team concept." Lee Davis Votes: 2,504 Percent: 30.45 LOSING Paul Marsh WEATHER Bush requests congressional OK for $7.6 billion in hurricane relief 1 i Continued hot.

Today is expected to be mostly sunny with some high clouds and southwest winds of 5 to 10 mph. Look for a high near 102, overnight low in the upper 60s. Yesterday's high was 103. and the low 67. Details on Pige 13A.

Votes: 3,759 Percent: 45.72 LEADING Reg Morrison (incumbent) Votes: 1,959 Percent: 23.83 LOSING INDEX 3 plead guilty in record food stamp fraud case WASHINGTON (AP) Three New York businessmen pleaded guilty yesterday to charges of laundering more than $82 million in food stamps the largest food stamp fraud case since the program was established in 1964, the government The Agriculture Department said the Brooklyn men's meat company laundered food stamps for other retailers who had obtained the coupons illegally over the past decade. In 1990 alone, the firm illegally redeemed more than $12.8 million in food stamps, the government said. The case dwarfs what had been USDA's largest food stamp fraud case to date a Toledo, Ohio, grocer convicted in January of illegally redeemmg $7.2 million In food stamps. Jeff Rush. USDA deputy assistant inspector general, said other retailers suspected of multimillion-dollar food stamp frauds would soon face charges.

"We've made it a priority to identify stores with low volumes of sales activity and very high redemptions (of food stamps), and we anticipate bringing See FRAUD, Page AA I I Actert 1-SD Mwy MB BrMe ID Obitwiei 7D CUbuIH MID Cmies fl) Spwtt MC IflSA Tbcjm tdaj 23 CnsvKtf 7D TV SD WASHINGTON (AP) President Bush asked Congress yesterday to provide more than $7.6 billion to help Florida and Louisiana recover from Hurricane Andrew's devastation. It would be the biggest federal relief package ever for a natural disaster. Lawmakers returning to the Capitol from their August break pledged quick action on the measure. But they prepared to add their own touches to it, raising questions about how rapidly it could be completed. "We're going to move it as fast as possible," said Senate Majority Leader George Mitchell, D-Maine.

Legislators began wrestling with the government's response to the storms as they began a pre-election session that promises political turbulence of its own. Pending before the expected October adjournment are major family-leave and tax bills, which both face veto threats from Bush. Congress still has to finish 12 of its 13 annual spending bills; Bush has threatened to reject any that exceed his budget proposals. On the storm-relief bill, Congress positioned itself to begin moving quickly. The chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, Rep.

Jamie Whitten, prepared to introduce his own version of the bill today and the Senate Appropriations Committee planned to consider its own measure tomorrow. Senate floor debate was possible next week. It was possible that the congressional bills would contain changes opposed by Bush. For example, one official who spoke on the condition of anonymity said Whitten's bill would probably cost more than Bush's. Even so.

Bush momentarily abandoned his campaign-trail attacks against the "gridlock Congress" and predicted that majority See HURRICANE, Page 10A Inside Rep. Jay Rhodes leads one of Ns challengers by the slimmest of margins in the 1st Congressional District's Republican primary. Page 7 A. 7 lllilllllfl 5.